No Remedy For Love
by PrincipalCellist
Summary: /Loved you with a fire red, now it's turning blue./ Puzzleshipping. Persevereshipping.
1. Love You From The Bottom of My Pen Case

It was, Yugi thought, a simple equation: You find the right person, you do the right things and, from there, you live happily ever after. Everything just... Well, everything goes _right_. The dates, the inside jokes, marriage, kids... He wanted the whole shebang, and he wanted it wrapped up in a neat little bow. Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl are together forever. It was simplicity at it's finest, and he was just naive enough to believe that things could really happen in such an easy way.

But, as we all find out, life was never easy.

Yugi had never been in love before Anzu, but somehow, as they stayed friends over the years, he knew he was. In love; head-over-heels, I've-fallen-and-I-can't-get-up _love_. He knew it in the same way he knew that the sun still existed even though it had set.

"I'm going to tell her." Yugi said on a particular, cloudy day. "I can't let myself wait any longer. She needs to know."

Yami looked up from the page in his book, but otherwise showed little interest in his best friend's sudden announcement. Yugi had been saying things along those lines for a couple years now, and each time Yugi had fallen short. He never could get those three formidable syllables out of his mouth whilst in her presence. They were both 23, and their school days were long behind them - and with it, the chances of the old gang getting together grew more and more rare. Of course Yugi felt as if he were running on a timer, sometimes; the topic of love loomed over their heads more and more the older they got. Parents, grandparents, friends...even complete strangers on the train were all interested in their love lives. It seemed the only questions anyone could ever ask was: "Anyone special in your life?" or "When are you going to settle down?" and even "You won't be young and good looking forever, you know!" It was as if they supposed finding the love of your life was something as easy as picking a flower.

"I'm serious." Yugi continued, seeing Yami's blank expression.

"I know you are." Yami replied.

"I'm going to do it."

"Yes, you've said."

"I'll go surprise her at the studio after her dance class today." Yugi decided, and Yami folded down the corner of his page, marking his spot, before he set his book down.

"Yugi...I don't think that is a good idea." Anticipation coiled in Yami's gut. He never expected to get into this topic with Yugi so soon...usually, Yugi would get all set to confess, and then back away for months at a time. Yami had been counting on that down period, but it had only been a couple weeks since Yugi's last declaration. He was growing more and more impatient.

"Why not?"

"Because...it's just not a good idea." Yami was still trying to find a way to ease into the subject.

Yugi's eyes narrowed.  
"Why not?" His tone was dour.

So much for ease. Yami scooted to the edge of the couch. "There's something you need to know." He clenched his hands together. Swallowed hard. He couldn't look at his friend; He stared at his fingers instead. "Yugi..." Why was this so hard? Usually he could just say things he wanted to people, but with Yugi...he felt like he was walking on the very edge of a deep pool.

"Well?"

Yami decided to just take the plunge.  
"You should give up on Anzu."

Instant defense.  
"Why should I?"

"She doesn't see you in that way."

"Of course not." Yugi almost sounded amused. "Not now, anyway. But when I tell her I'm interested, she'll start to think of me in that light, too." Yugi was ever the believer in romance - whether it were true or not.

"No, Yugi." Yami had to be firm, there was no other way. If he was too mellow, Yugi would steamroll over anything that's said and believe in the supreme power of love. And once Yugi got going, he was impossible to stop. "Anzu is not interested in you."

"But when given the opportunity, she might. Didn't you hear what I just said?" Yugi asked, and Yami risked a glance upward. His posture was closed off - arms folded, lips curled down.

"No, I did." Yami noticed his knuckles were white, and he forced himself to relax. "And it's all well and good that you can be so sure and so positive...but you need to realize that things may not always go as you plan." He frowned. "Things don't work as you want them to." Yami's eyes came up, and they stayed there.

"Why are you saying these things?" Yugi asked.

"I'm trying to help."

"Well, you're not. You're being a complete downer, actually."

"I can't control how you feel." Yami almost laughed at the irony. "I care about you, so I want you to be happy."

"If you really cared, you'd be helping me - cheering me on, at least."

"I am." Yami cringed. "I was. I tried to at first, but now..." He offered Yugi a small smile. "Things change."

"Yami, I love her."

"It's _because_ you love her." Yami's voice rose. "That's why you need to be careful - because Anzu does not love _you_."

Yugi took a step back, as if Yami's words had physically hurt him. It was silent for a beat, then:  
"I cannot believe you'd be so cruel about this. I thought we were _friends_."

"That's not fair." Yami stood up, genuinely hurt. "You know I'm your friend."

"Then act like it! Can't you just be happy for me?"

"I would be, if it was right. But it's not!" Yami shook his head. "I wouldn't be trying to stop you if it would work... You know that. You know me."

"I thought I did."

"Yugi-" Yami placed a hand over his chest. "I would _never_ say awful things just to hurt you."

"You don't know anything about Anzu. You've never tried to help me out with her." Yugi said. "You can't be telling me not to go after someone you never bothered to associate with. Every time I bring her up, it's like you turn to stone. From the very beginning, you've had some sort of problem."

"No, I didn't - not then. But now things are different. Just stop jumping down my throat and _listen_ to what I have to say; You can't be with Anzu because she-"

"What? She's what?" Yugi's eyebrows crunched together. "Am I not good enough for her? Or is it that she's not good enough for me?"

"Neither! No!" Yami stared at his friend in disbelief. Things were going so terribly wrong. "Of course she's good - that's not what I-"

"So _I'm_ the one not good enough, then?"

"You're not listening to me!" Yami yelled. He was feeling so frustrated, he could've pulled his hair out at that moment.

"No, you won't listen to _me_!" Yugi cried back. "Just be a good friend and wish me luck. I can take care of myself for the rest."

"I can't do that." Yami pressed his lips together, then, "You're going to get hurt."

Yugi's Adam's apple bobbed, but he stood taller.  
"I'm still going." He said, his voice low. "You can't stop me."

Yami closed his eyes.  
"I wish I could." He murmured.

"So that's it?" Yugi asked. "You're not coming with me, I take it?"

"I can't." Yami repeated. "I won't watch you do this to yourself."

Yugi grabbed his jacket and walked to the door.  
"Then we have nothing more to say to each other."

"Yugi, please-"

"You know what, Yami?" Yugi's eyes blazed like fire as he opened the door. "Fuck you."

"Do you at least trust that I'm only thinking of your happiness?" Yami called after him, desperate to make him stay.

It was only for a second, but Yugi's stride faltered, and he looked back at Yami with an unreadable expression. But then he was gone, the door snapping shut behind him. Yami fell back on the couch, rubbing his face with his hands and wishing that the discussion had gone better. Wishing that everything were different.


	2. I Wish I Knew Right From The Start

Yugi loved the moments before a storm; right before the rain started to pour, when everything was gray and the wind was blowing a symphony in the leaves. When the temperature dropped about five degrees and you knew, you just somehow _knew,_ that the storm was going to be a big one. And, as odd as it seemed, He even felt storms had a distinctive scent to them. You could raise your face to the sky, take in a deep breath, and know where a storm was or when it would hit.

The forecaster had said it would be a "partly cloudy" afternoon; but, alas, no one could predict the weather. Mother nature is a fickle mistress, and we all have to play by her rules.

Yugi walked along the nearly empty sidewalk, humming part of a recent, poppy song under his breath. Everyone had already rushed home, or had gotten inside to take cover fromt he upcoming downpour - but he was a rare soul. He felt no need to hurry around like an ant when the first drops fell. After all, rain was just water, and you couldn't go through life thinking you'd never get caught in it. So alone he was, but hopefully not for long. He was only about three blocks away from the studio, and soon he would be walking home with Anzu on his arm - if he played his cards right. It had been a long time coming, but he was sure today was the day everything would change. For the better.

 _'But Yami seemed so apprehensive earlier...'_

Yugi shook his head sharply. No way. He wasn't going to let himself think about that. He wasn;'t going to let Yami, the Debbie Downer, make him feel as if he'd already lost before he had was how quitters thought, and Yugi was no quitter. He knew things went wrong sometimes, but this - this for _sure_ \- would go exactly as he planned. Yami was just being his usual, cautious self, and while Yugi appreciated the fact his friend was looking out for him, he was annoyed. But still, to get into such a silly argument over something like that... Yugi had even yelled at him.

"Why did I say that?" He groaned to himself, staring up at the dark sky. Yami didn't deserve the attitude he had received. Yugi knew Yami has been a really good friend, only concerned for Yugi's well-being. Yugi felt disgusted with himself; He had to apologize. Now. Yugi reached into his back pocket, but came up empty handed.

"Oh." In his anger, Yugi had forgotten his cell phone on the counter. _Whoops._ How many times had Yami told Yugi that he was too stubborn for his own good? Too many times to count, and Yugi had to concede that Yami was right. He was too quick to get fired up.

 _"You can't be with Anzu because she-"_

She... _what?_ Yugi just couldn't figure it out. What had Yami been trying to say? Yugi felt silly; he should've let Yami talk. Of course Yami didn't think that Yugi wasn't good enough for Anzu... Yugi didn't exactly know why he'd thrown that out to the universe. It had just come out in the heat of the moment. But what could Yami know that Yugi didn't? His head was just spinning around in circles, trying to find an answer. So, he tried to not think about it at all. It was probably better that way.

"Hey, Yugi!" A voice called out, startling Yugi out of his thoughts. He nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Otogi?" Yugi asked, looking up into a set of familiar green eyes framed by dramatic, black lashes, not believing it.

"What's up?" Ryuji said, walking over the remaining distance between them and patting Yugi on the back. "It's been awhile since we've bumped into each other!"

"It really has!" Yugi shook the taller's hand. "The last time I saw you was at Jou's 21st birthday party. You got drunk and fell in the pool."

"Yeah, I sobered up real quick after that. The water was freaking _cold_."

"It's good to see you." Yugi grinned. "What are you doing here?"

Ryuji got a strange look on his face.  
"What do you mean?"

"Well, you live pretty far from here, right? What brings you to this side of town?"

"Yugi...wait. What are you talking about? I moved back to Domino six months ago."

"What?" Yugi tilted his head, shocked. "You didn't say anything to us?"

"Now I'm just appalled." Ryuji tucked a strand of his signature, kinked hair behind his ear. "No one told you? I wasn't able to call you; I lost my cell phone on the subway and never got your number back - it kept slipping my mind to ask people for their numbers. But Jou knows I'm back. He didn't say anything?"

"Not at all." Yugi frowned, staring off into the distance. "How bizarre."

"What about Yami?"

Yugi's eyes snapped back to Ryuji's face.  
"What do you mean, 'what about Yami'?"

"I ran into him a month ago." Ryuji's eyes widened. "Wait, he didn't say anything to you, either? I thought you guys lived together! Did you guys go through a break or something? You guys not on good terms?"

"We do. But we didn't." Yugi's brows lowered. "I mean, Yami and I are fine...so why didn't he say anything to me?" He said this more to his own self than to Ryuji.

"I don't know. You'd have to go ask him that." The other stuck his hands in his pockets. "Sorry, man. I assumed everyone knew by now."

"No, I didn't know." Yugi blinked. "But that's not your fault. I'll ask Yami about it when I get home."

"Good that." Ryuji offered him a smile. "But, hey, how are you doing?"

"Well, ignoring what I've just learned, I've been good." Yugi pushed his hair out of his face when the wind dislodged it. "Yami and I moved into a small house - tiny, really. But it's really homey, and the bills are pretty easy to pay because they're split in half. I'm still helping Grandpa around the shop, except he pays me now."

"As in, an actual job?" Ryuji smirked, and Yugi chuckled.

"Yeah, though I feel bad for taking his money, sometimes. But he calls me his "employee" at work, so that helps ease my conscious." Yugi shrugged. "And college is college, of course. One more year after this semester, and I'll have my degree." He twisted his hand around in a vague gesture. "Overall, life has been going really well, actually."

"That's great, man. I'm really happy for you."

"What about you? What brings you to the area?"

"Well, it's almost three, so I'm here waiting for Anzu to get out of her class. We're going to grab lunch."

"Oh, she knows you're back, too?"

Ryuji got the same strange look on his face as before.  
"Yugi...have you been completely AWOL or something?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I just don't remember you ever being so... out of the loop."

Something in Yugi's chest tightened, but he tried to grin.  
"Jeez! What am I out of the loop on, now?"

"Anzu and I are dating."

A rumble of thunder rolled above their heads, shaking the ground, but Yugi felt numb. He barely heard whatever Ryuji was saying to him now. Ryuji...and Anzu? Dating? How could have Yugi not known something like that? Why didn't anyone say anything to him? Anzu and Jou... even his best friend. None of them had said a word. This whole time...he must have looked like an idiot, following Anzu around with love struck eyes.

"How long?" Yugi asked.

"What?" Ryuji questioned.

"How long?" Yugi repeated, louder.

Ryuji looked upward, thinking.  
"About... four months now."

Something seemed to have collapsed inside Yugi's chest, like his ribs just fell. How could he have not known for that long? Did he not see it simply because he didn't _want_ to see it? And How long had everyone else known? "God..." Yugi muttered, reaching up to his head. That's what Yami had been trying to say to him earlier. This was the reason he didn't want Yugi to go. "Shit."

"Are you okay?" A feminine voice asked near his head, and Yugi looked up to see Anzu standing next to him. She was leaning down close so he could hear her over the wind and thunder. As soon as their gaze connected, her eyes widened, noticing a change in his expression. "Yugi? What's wrong?"

"I..." Yugi shook his head. Tried to smile. "No, I'm fine. I need to get home before it rains."

She looked confused as she straightened up.  
"Since when do you care about getting caught in rain?"

The reminder that she knew him so well didn't make him happy anymore; it just felt like a knife was being jammed into his stomach.  
"I didn't. I don't." Yugi laughed a little, trying to act nonchalant. "I just - I forgot something I need to do back home. It's important. Sorry to...well, sorry."

Ryuji placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.  
"Do you want us to walk home with you? You look sick."

"No, I'm alright." Yugi stepped away from him - away from them and away from the situation. There was too much noise going on in his head. He couldn't breathe. "I just...bye." With that, he turned around and walked away, ignoring Anzu when she called after him. When he was a block away, he broke into a run.

Anzu was together with Ryuji. They had been dating for _months_ now. Yugi never knew - he never even suspected, and no one even thought to tell him. Did they all think he had already known? Was that why they had been silent? But that couldn't be, not with Yami, anyway. Yami _knew_ that Yugi had thought Anzu was single. But why would he keep quiet? Why would Yami keep such a thing a secret?

 _"It's_ because _you love her. That's why you need to be careful - because Anzu does not love_ you. _"_

Yugi tripped over a large, raised crack in the sidewalk and caught himself against a building wall. He leaned over, suppressing his urge to hurl up his lunch. Ryuji was right, Yugi _felt_ sick. Did he just invent what he wanted to see in Anzu? Had there any hope - any chance at all - for them in the first place?

 _'If she loved me, she would have said something.'_ Yugi's mind tormented him, but he couldn't argue with it because the small voice was right. If there had been anything more than just this one sided love between them, Anzu would have said something. If she felt the same way Yugi felt, she would have confessed to Yugi way before he ever got the nerve to tell her. Because that was how Anzu was; she faced everything head on, take it or leave it. She would have definitely said something if she had been in love.

 _'I can't think about this.'_ Yugi pushed himself off of the building, trying to force himself to breathe right. Static was filling his head. He didn't know how to sort and deal with these unfamiliar feelings; It was his first time falling in love, and the first time that the same love was breaking his heart. _'I just need to make everything stop for a moment.'_ The growing static was actually the buzzing of a neon sign above his head. _'Just for a moment.'_ Yugi looked up at the sign, reading. The building he was next to was a bar.

 _'Perfect_.'


	3. I'll Be There By Your Side

Why was it that love always sounded so violent? You fall "head over heels," or you're "struck by Cupid's arrow." Each time, you take the risk of having your heart broken. Over and over - and you never grow numb to the pain or get used to it. Of course, from an outsider's perspective, it sounds impossibly painful - Why bother with that kind of hurt? It's certainly not worth the trouble. But yet, humans did it everyday. And they always came back for more.

As for why this was, Yami thought he knew; perhaps, if love weren't so perilous, humans wouldn't crave it so much. Love might _have_ to be brutal for it to work. People came in so many shapes and sizes, so maybe some excessive force was required to make two separate parts fit together properly. And you know what they say about a break: when it heals, it's stronger than it was before.

Yami prayed that the same was true for Yugi, as well.

Yes, he had known Anzu was dating Ryuji. He had known for a month. One day, he had bumped into Ryuji at the grocery store - _with Anzu._ Yami was shocked at the news, and after the shock died, the anger set in. Did Anzu not know Yugi's feelings? Did she never realize how flustered he got with her? Did she really think that Yugi wanted to be around her so much just because they were _friends_?

 _'Stupid, stupid, stupid.'_ Yami had thought, blindsided by his own, sudden hostility. It was all he could do to leave the two there at the store without yelling at them - at his supposed friends. The anger burned up everything inside of him, until all that was left at the end was ashes of despair.

How could he tell Yugi? Why was it left to him to break the heart of his best friend? What could he possibly say to make it easier to take? When the rage Yami had felt left him, he no longer did he blamed Anzu for the circumstances. Sshe didn't know, and that wasn't completely her fault. As innocent as it was, Yugi was at fault for never telling her how he felt. And, with things like this, you had to say it out loud for it to be understood. But Yugi didn't; he wavered back and forth - to tell her, to not tell her... Now she was with someone else, and she was in love.

Yami couldn't blame her for that, but nor could he bring himself to blame Yugi, either. It was just...a misunderstanding all around. Missed chances. In fact, Yami had no right to talk to anyone about feelings ,or how you should convey them, because he, too, was silent when it came to that aspect. He felt that some things were just too hard, too _precious_ , to put into words.

But, of course, there was no question of whether yami should have told Yugi about Anzu or not. Yugi deserved to know the truth, but Yami could never quite get it out. Whenever an opportunity showed itself, he let it slip by like sand. He rode the waves of Yugi's indecisiveness, hoping Yugi would fall out of love and Yami would no longer be burdened with the weight of what he knew. Yami waited for the right moment, knowing that, if it ever did come, he probably would _still_ swallow his words and let the moment pass. Yami knew it was only a matter of time before Yugi found out - such a secret could not be kept silent for long - but Yami didn't want to be the one to hurt Yugi. He was selfishly letting Yugi go down the road of pain, just because he didn't want to be the one to cause it.

All too soon, it became a decision between two equally bad things: to tell Yugi and hurt him, or to let Yugi find out for himself and still be hurt - not to mention, angry at Yami for not saying anything before. There wasn't even a right or a wrong in this situation... Only a choice of something not-quite-so-horrible and something horrible. And, after everything came to light, Yami would be left with the consequences; he wouldn't even be able to say anything sensitive, reassuring, or touching without it possibly being a lie.

"In the end, we all get burned." Yami muttered to himself, standing in front of the window. The rain poured down in a sheet of gray, and he watched as the water streaked down the pane. A sudden, loud buzzing ripped him out of his stupor, and he looked over his shoulder to see Yugi's cell phone vibrating on top of the counter. Yugi must have been pretty annoyed with him to have left without it. Yami walked over and picked it up, reading the text of _GRANDPA_ blinking on the screen. He debated for a second, then held down the answer button.

"This is Yami."

"Yami, m'boy! I could've _sworn_ I dialed Yugi's number...?"

"You did." Yami leaned his back against the counter. "He forgot it at home. He left about three hours ago."

"Well, that's a shame. Could you do me a favor and let him know that the shop will be closed tomorrow? I have a couple errands I need to run - and I'm meeting up with Hawkins after that for dinner. He's made another discovery!"

"Yeah, no problem." Yami bobbed his head. He had a sinking feeling that Yugi wouldn't want to go to work tomorrow anyway, if things had gone how Yami guessed they did. "I'll tell him as soon as he gets back. Have fun with the professor."

"... Are you alright?" Grandpa sounded worried.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You sound sort of...how do I put it? Bleak."

Yami was quiet for a moment.  
"Grandpa?" He started, apprehensive. "Could I ask you something?"

"You well know you can."

"Um, okay...I..." Yami held his breath, then blew it out, frustrated. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Take your time."

Yami deliberated.  
"No, I'm sorry. Never mind."

"I see. Well, at least let me say something."

"All right."

"Yami, in my experience, most times when folks ask for advice, they already know what they should do. They just want to hear it from someone else."

Yami blinked, stunned.  
"That...actually helps me."

He gave a hearty chuckle.  
"Helping people is something I do best."

"Yeah, it really is. Thank you."

"Anytime, m'boy. Let Yugi know the news - and tell him I said hello."

"I will." Yami promised. "Talk to you soon, Grandpa."

"Goodbye."

Yami pressed END CALL and stared at the phone in his hand for a moment longer before setting it back on the counter.

In a vague way, what Grandpa had said truly did help him. Yami had been on the fence about a few things for a long time now, but that needed to change. He couldn't keep living day-to-day like this. He needed to decide once and for all what he was going to do. He looked over to his book on the dining room table, remembering the words he'd read almost half an hour ago: _"Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing, and then, one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after."_

Yami grabbed his coat and keys. Yugi didn't have his phone, but Yami would find him, whether it took him minutes or hours. After all, sooner or later you have to do _something_ \- or else you will never do anything.


	4. Tonight I'm Drinking From The Bottle

Yugi was unsure which pain was worse - the shock of what happened, or the ache of what never will. He raised his forefinger, signaling the bartender for another round. _'Just one more,'_ he told himself, but that was four drinks ago... Or was it six? He couldn't remember. The more he drank, the blurrier his memory got, and the less he cared. Obviously, the answer was to drink more.

People always say that alcohol was an acquired taste - that no one ever likes it at first - but eventually, you learn to get used to the burn, and then you began to actually taste the flavor of it. What flavor, Yugi wasn't sure, but there had to be _something_ good about it since people keep drinking it, right?

Or maybe it was less of "acquiring the taste," and more like plunging your hand in a bucket of ice water. It hurts like hell in the beginning, and then you go numb - and who didn't want a few moments of numbness once in a while? Yugi never understood the need to feel nothing before, but now he did. Sometimes, maybe you just needed a prolonged time of nothingness to collect yourself before jumping back into the fray of turmoil feelings. Maybe it was healthy to have a bit of nothing to figure out something. And so Yugi sat, getting drunker and drunker and falling more in love with just the idea of silence.

But the more Yugi drank, the more he also realized that, instead of going numb, he was simply just entering a state of aloofness. He felt his heartbreak, but somehow it was detached from him, like it was someone else's pain and he was watching it through a screen. Anzu didn't love him; he didn't care. Ryuji was dating her; he didn't care. Jou hadn't told Yugi Ryuji was back in town; he didn't care. Yami never said anything... suddenly, like it was the magic word to snap him from his blank state, Yugi cared. He cared so much that he felt as if he were about to collapse in on himself.

"Why din' he say an'thin' before now?" He slurred, setting his forehead against the cool surface of the bar. It was the one thing he really couldn't wrap his head around - why Yami would be silent and let Yugi find out in such a terrible way. He thought their relationship was better than that - that Yami could come to him for anything. How could Yugi have misjudged everything, from his trust in Yami to Anzu's availability, so horribly? Tears formed at the corner of his eyes. "Curs' yer sudden, yet inevit'ble betray'l." He muttered.

"All right, buddy." The bartender said, appearing in front of Yugi to clear away the glasses. "You're cut off."

"No, no." Yugi looked up at the man. "M'fine."

"Yeah, sure you are." The bartender replied, looking like he'd heard it all before. Well, working where he did, he probably had heard it before. At the beckon of another patron, the bartender left Yugi.

"Hey." A new, deeper voice said. Yugi looked over to see a muscular man sit down next to him. "Tough night?"

Yugi blew out a breath of air that lifted his bangs in the gust. "Y'coul' say that again." He bemoaned. "An' now I be - Cut. Off." He made a slicing motion over his throat with his hand for dramatic effect. "But I'm _fiiine_."

"Yeah, you look it." The guy raised a brow. "Do you have your cellphone?"

"Nah, I left that thing back home." Yugi giggled at his mistake. "Apparently, no one likes to tell me things, 'nyway."

"That's a shame. A catch like you?"

Yugi giggled again.  
"Please."

"I'm serious." The man leaned forward. "But fuck 'em, right?"

"Yeah. Fuck 'em!" Yugi nodded fervently. "You're a good guy." The other man scratched the back of his head, messing up his dark hair, and Yugi thought maybe he was embarrassed. "I guess I _should_ call som'one, though...yeah?"

"I suppose you could." The man grinned and slung an arm over Yugi's shoulder. " _Or..._ you could stick around and keep a guy company."

Yugi blinked at the man.  
"I should at least call Yami and let him know I'ma be out late."

The man blinked.  
"Who's that? You got a boyfriend?"

"What? No." Yugi rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. "Well, I though' he was my best friend. But, y'know... Shit happ'ns." He sighed. "Turns out he's been lyin' to me for a wh'le now." Yugi rested his head on his hands, leaning over the bar. "I wish I knew why he didn't just...speak up."

"Maybe it was just something he couldn't figure out how to say?" The man passed Yugi a bottle of water. "Maybe he just didn't know how to tell you without causing you pain. I couldn't say for sure, though. I don't know the guy."

Yugi thought about that, accepting the water. "Maybe." He allowed, sipping. "Probably." He took a swing of the water. "Now that I think about it... He does avoid hurting me." Yugi frowned, drank more. "But that doesn' excuse it. He basic'ly _lied_ to me." He gave the bottle back to the man. "Thanks."

"Keep yourself hydrated." The guy said with an odd smile.

"How do you know when you can and can't trust som'one?"

Yugi had asked the question mostly to himself, but the muscled guy stared at the ceiling, mulling it over. "Well...I guess it's more of an instinct. Sometimes you can just tell who you can trust. Like, with animals." The man leaned forward. "You know how, with some people, dogs will growl and try to bite them? Because they can tell that the person is bad. Humans are like that, too. We don't listen as well as animals do, but it's still there. The weird, prickling feeling you get when something isn't right. And the calm feeling you have when it is."

Yugi was silent for a long time. What the man made sense, and, suddenly, Yugi wanted to go home. The longer he sat there, the more urgent his own prickling feeling got. But he couldn't figure out why. Or why the music seemed to be fading out. "Hey, m'sorry to ask, but can I borrow yer phone?" He wondered, looking at the man again.

He looked taken aback for a moment, like he hadn't expected Yugi to ask, but then smiled.  
"Yeah, sure. No problem." He pulled a phone out of his back pocket and handed it to Yugi.

"Thanks again...uh, what's your name?"

"Kit." The man replied quickly.

"Right." Yugi nodded and took the phone. He looked down at the numbers on the screen and, before he could really think about who he was going to call, his fingers were already dialing the number. Because, even with the turmoil Yugi was feeling, or how he had possibly hurt the other before, there was one person who he knew would always be there.

"Hello?" Yami answered from the other side of the line on the second ring.

"Hey, Yami!" Yugi replied, trying to sound as sober as he could - and failing.

"Yugi?" There was relief in his voice. "Thank God. You left your phone at home, so I couldn't call you. It's been _hours_ since you left! Where are you?"

"Yami..." Yugi repeated, trying to figure out what to say. He was not good on the phone, he needed to see the face - the pattern of eyes, nose, and the mouth. When people talked, they were meant to be face-to-face. With a phone, you said words, but you never watched them sink in. It's like you see them off at the airport, but you never know if anyone is there to greet them when they got off the plane.

"Yes?" Yami asked.

"She doesn't love me, Yami." Is what Yugi finally settled on as an opening. He sounded so small, so pathetic, that it made tears sting his eyes. "Ryuji's back...been back for months. She's datin' him. An' I didn't know it before. No one told me. I thought we would be together - I really believed she liked me, too." He held back a sob, and he almost choked on it. "I got upset with you earlier. M'sorry." Yugi clutched the phone in both hands, hoping Yami would somehow understand how bad he felt without actually saying it, because he couldn't find the words to describe what he was feeling. He wanted Yami to know how sorry he was that he got angry, how hurt he was that Anzu wasn't his, and how betrayed he felt that everyone seemed to know what he hadn't. And how, even though he'd been lied to, how quickly he was ready to forgive Yami.

"M'sorry..." He ended up repeating. "M'so sorry"

"Where are you?"

Yugi glanced around him. "In a bar. I don' know the name...but it's not far from the dance studio." He paused. "I _think_?"

"Are you drunk?"

"V'ry much so."

"I'll come and get you." Yami said. Yugi rubbed his face, removing any tears that might have slipped past, and Kit handed him a napkin. "Did you hear me? Stay where you are."

"'Kay." Yugi took a deep breath.

"And Yugi?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't drink anymore."

Suddenly, Yugi felt like laughing.  
"I've alr'dy been cut off."

"Jesus." Yami groaned. Yugi did laugh this time. "It's not funny."

"Sure it is." Yugi giggled. ' _What is wrong with me?'_ He thought, but he couldn't stop snickering. He tried to stand up, but he couldn't feel his legs. Something was wrong.

"Are you okay?" Kit asked, leaning close. Yugi could smell his aftershave, and he blinked slowly, looking up.

"I...I don't..." The world felt like it was tilted, and Yugi felt a little sick. He noticed that the phone wasn't in his hand anymore; his connection to Yami was gone. Where did it...? Had he dropped the phone?

"Here, I'll drive you home." Yugi's new acquaintance said, helping him out of his seat.

"Yami told me to...stay..." Yugi protested, slumping against Kit's body heavily when his legs didn't support him.

"I'll call him back and let him know you're on your way." He assured Yugi softly. Yugi felt cool air hit his face, and he realized they were outside. It was dark, and he heard thunder off in the distance. Wasn't he just inside? How did they get out here?

"Wha...time...?" He tried to ask, but his tongue was too heavy to form a complete sentence. Kit didn't answer, but Yugi could hear him breathing from somewhere above his ear. The walked for a while, and Yugi tried to recognize the surrounding scenery,but he came up with nothing. With a bolt of fear, he realized that Kit didn't ever ask him for his address.

"Here's my car." Kit said, Yugi heard the squeak of an opening door.

"Wait...you don't know...where..."

"You're not going home." Kit answered. Goosebumps rose on Yugi's skin. He had to get away.

"No." Yugi pushed away from Kit, stumbling back. "...away."

"Just get in the car." Kit said, grabbing Yugi's arm roughly, shoving him against the car. Yugi grunted as his knees impacted the metal frame. He filled up his lungs to cry out for help-

"Get your filthy hands off of him." A new, enraged voice called out.

"Mind your own business, man." Kit said back. "Or you'll get hurt."

"He _is_ my business." The newcomer spat.

"Yami..." Yugi called meekly, and he wretched his arm from Kit's grasp.

"Don't you move." Kit warned him. Yugi gave him a nasty look.

"Fuck...you." Yugi wobbled on his feet, almost falling. There was something seriously wrong with his body. He could feel sweat rolling down his brow. "What did...you do to me?"

"Just a little pill to slow you down." Kit answered. "I couldn't have you wigging out on me before the fun began." There was a weird caress against Yugi's cheek, and he jerk back from the stranger's hand. "The crying is for later." The tone in Kit's voice made Yugi's insides churn.

"Yugi, has he hurt you?" Yami asked, his voice oddly calm.

"Other than the...obvious?" Yugi rolled his eyes with a bit of difficulty.

Kit laughed and pulled a small item from his pocket. Yugi saw the glint, and recognized it as a switchblade. Kit looked at Yugi.  
"You stay put while I deal with lover-boy over here. Not that you can run, anyway. I'll be be qui-"

He never finished the sentence, Yami had seen his opening and charged at Kit. Yugi tripped over his feet as he got out of the way of the flying blade Yami had knocked from Kit's hand. Smaller and less muscular than Kit, Yami had an advantage in speed. He ducked under Kit's fist and aimed a jab into the assulting man's stomach. Kit bent over, wheezing, and Yami landed a kick to the back of his knee. Kit lashed out as he fumbled and fell forward, his fist catching Yami in the jaw. Yami stumbled back a few steps, off balance.

Yugi fell to his knees, running his hands along the wet cement, searching in the dark. His hand hit and closed on something sharp, cutting him. The blade. Yugi grabbed the handle, holding it up in front of him, ready to use it in his defense. But when he tried to stand back up, he couldn't lift himself. His limbs were too weak from whatever drug Kit had slipped him. There was a cry, and Yugi turned to look behind him, stomach flipping. Yami had Kit in a head lock, and Kit was flailing, trying to breathe.

To Yugi, who was under the influence of a few things, the whole fight seemed to last only an instant before it was over. Somehow, already, Kit was lying unconscious on the ground, and Yami was limping as he walked. Yugi felt water against his face; the rain had returned to wash away the evidence of their fight.

The first thing Yugi could think to ask was: "Is he dead?"

"No." Yami said, almost regretfully, panting as he leaned down to pull Yugi's arm over his shoulders.

"Are you okay?"

"We're going home." Yami said, ignoring Yugi's question, and they both started walking away.

"What just happened?" Yugi asked, trying to clear his head. The cold rain helped with that. He felt something in his hand, and he realized he was still holding onto the switchblade. He quickly dropped it, leaving it on the ground behind them. Yami turned to him at the clatter it made, and Yugi saw bruises blossoming on his pale face. "You're hurt." Yugi said.

"I'm fine." Yami replied, short. His eyes traveled from Yugi's face to his hand, and he abruptly stopped walking. "You have a cut." He lifted Yugi's hand to eye level, examining the long, deep slash on his palm.

"Ow." Yugi said, surprised. Yami dropped Yugi's hand and kept leading him down the road.

"We'll clean and bandage it at home. We're nearly there."

Yugi was starting to fully grasp what had just happened. "I was drugged." He said, almost surprised. "How did that happen? I didn't even - _oooh._.." Yugi shook his head, feeling stupid. "The water." He felt sick all over. He thought Kit had been a good guy. "I didn't even drink that much of it..."

Yami kept walking, silent, and all Yugi could do was laugh as if it were funny, instead of sad and true.


	5. Giving Up is The Hardest Part

Together, in the dim light of the hallway, Yami heaved Yugi into the bathroom. He turned the bathroom faucet on and placed Yugi's hand under the stream.

"Ow!" Yugi cried, immediately trying to pull his hand away. "That hurts."

"Sorry." Yami said, though a bit curt. He held Yugi's hand in place. "Just bear with it. The cut has to be cleaned. Who knows what that fucking fuck has done with that blade." Yugi shivered at the darkness in Yami's tone, and let him work. "Where are the bandages?"

"I think I...I put them in the cupboard above the toilet." Yugi answered. Yami reached around him to open it, and Yugi could still smell the rain on his jacket. Pulling down a roll of wrap and a box of band-aids, Yami pushed Yugi down to sit on the toilet lid.

"I can do it." Yugi protested as Yami knelt in front of him, unraveling the wrap. Yami's face was set in a hard mask and Yugi quickly shut his mouth, but, despite his obvious anger, Yami's fingers were gentle. He dried off the area before carefully placing a large band-aid over the cut.

"Thank you." Yugi said quietly as Yami started wrapping up his hand. Yami simply nodded, winding the material around. They were quiet while he worked, and Yugi felt a sting in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Yami's hands faltered as he finished wrapping Yugi's wound.  
"Don't apologize to me." He said, looking up.

"But you just saved me from being raped - or worse." Yugi said, not shuddering just because the cold. He took the damp hand towel Yami had used off of the counter and started dabbing at the swelling bruise on Yami's cheekbone. Yami flinched, and Yugi backed off, not wanting to make the pain worse.

"I wish you had just came straight home." Yami said, and Yugi could see the droop of his shoulders as he started to relax. "Why didn't you?"

"I just...I felt like I wanted to just stop feeling anything after...well, I'm sure you know."

Yami's face contorted, and he looked away.  
"Yeah...I know." He said softly, looking anguished. "How bad was it?"

"The _worst_."

Yami winced, taking a deep breath.  
"I never meant to keep it a secret from you."

"Why did you?"

"I just..." Yami raked his hands through his hair. "I couldn't bear knowing how much it was going to hurt you. I wanted to avoid causing you that pain." He shook his head. "But I was stupid. Either way, you were going to get hurt. It probably would've been easier for you to hear it from me."

"Yeah, it would have."

"I'm sorry."

Yugi sighed.  
"Yami, I love her."

"I know you do."

"And I'm a bit jealous of Ryuji."

"That's normal."

"I'm angry."

Yami stared at his hands.  
"You have every right to be."

Warm fingertips touched the underside of Yami's chin, forcing him to look back up. "I'm angry at myself, more than anyone else." Yugi clarified. "I was too slow, too inconsistent. If anything, a lot of this could've been avoided if I had just been more decisive. I was a coward, and that's no one's fault but mine." He grimaced. "I was even so cowardly enough that I tried to drink myself numb than deal with my shit."

"I should've been there sooner." Yami sounded disgusted. "Back at the bar. No, back when you first went out to meet Anzu. If I were there, you would've had a shoulder to cry on, and you wouldn't have tried to find comfort at the bottom of a bottle or...talking to a stranger."

Yugi's insides crawled as he thought about what almost happened to him. "I want to forget that it ever happened." Yugi said. And, like that, inspiration struck him. He'd gone from a state of wanting numbness, to a state of wanting all the pain. He needed to feel everything now, while it was fresh. "Yami, make me forget."

"What?" Yami asked, confused.

"Make me forget." Yugi repeated, taking Yami's face in his hands. "I want you to have sex with me."

"What?" Yami jerked out of Yugi's grasp, standing. Yugi also stood, wobbling slightly, possessed with a sudden drive - a mission. His hands came to rest on Yami's shoulders.

"Fuck me until I forget it all."

Yami's eyes grew wide.  
"Yugi, no. You're still drun-"

"I don't care!" Yugi yelled, pressing Yami back into the wall. "Just make me forget. Just for tonight!"

"I care." Yami said back, twisting out of his grasp.

"Make me forget her. Fuck me until I can't even remember my own name!" Yugi grabbed the collar of Yami's shirt.

"How in the hell are you coming up with that conclusion?" Yami argued, trying to break away from Yugi's grasp again, but the younger held him in place with a surprising amount of strength. "Sex isn't going to make this go away."

"I know, but it's an escape, at least." Yugi shook his head with a sour look. "I can still feel his hands on me, like wriggling worms. I have so much hurt going on inside me right now, it's making me feel physically sick. But you can help give me a break from it. Make me feel good, instead."

"Yugi, what you're feeling is normal." Yami said, softly. "You don't need me to-"

"Shut up." Yugi said, fingers moving to unbutton Yami's shirt.

"No." Yami grabbed Yugi's hands and closed his eyes. "Stop."

"Do you not want me?" Yugi asked, pressing his body against Yami's. "Am I not good looking enough? Me being male obviously isn't the problem, right? How many guys have you done it with?"

"Oh my, god." Yami covered his face with his hands. "We are not having this discussion, Yugi. Stop."

"Just answer my question." Yugi's fingers were toying with the edge of Yami's pants. "You know how to take care of me, yeah?"

"Yugi, shut up." Yami didn't need a mirror to know his face was red. His previous affairs were never something he liked to discuss.

"Also, when's the last time you've done it yourself? Masturbated, I mean." Yugi got a strange, rough grin. "It's hard when I'm always around. You never get a moment alone. You must be feeling just a bit frustrated, right?"

"Don't you dare try to suddenly make this about me."

"This _is_ about you. It's about you _and_ me. Us. Together." The word was like a sweet poison. But, somehow, it felt right coming off Yugi's tongue. He pulled Yami's hands away and leaned closer so they were completely flush against each other. Yami couldn't look anywhere without seeing Yugi's hard, dark gaze.

"You may be saying these things now, but in the morning...you will surely regret it." Yami said. He was trying hard to resist temptation, but the way Yugi was moving his hips was making it hard.

"I'll regret a lot of things in the morning." Yugi said, shrugging. "But I'll worry about that when it comes."

"That's a terrible way of looking at it." Yami attempted a chuckle.

"I've never wanted a guy before," Yugi commented, "but I can do it with you." His hands pushed the damp hair from Yami's face, stroking his cheeks. "You are very good looking. Definitely a man, but knowing that isn't stopping me. I wonder why?"

"Please stop." Yami breathed, unable to stop himself from glancing at Yugi's lips.

"Hey, if you think it's weird to do it with a friend, you can just think of it as relieving stress. Or maybe think of it as an experiment? I won't mind - I won't be offended. I know what I'm doing, and I want to go wild and forget my feelings. Even if just for a night. And I want it to be you, okay?"

"You don't know a thing." Yami whispered, shaking his head.

"I know I want to feel good." Yugi said, letting his lips graze Yami's ear. "Don't you want to feel good?"

"I adore you, Yugi. You know that. But I can't just...It'll just hurt you. If we stop now, we can just sum it up to the folly of drunk youth, okay?"

"But I don't want to sum it up as the folly of drunk youth." Yugi stated, hands gliding over Yami's shoulders. "Just have sex with me." He applied soft pressure to Yami's groin with his thigh, and the other opened his mouth in surprise - in-taking air. Yugi took that opportunity to cover that open mouth with his own. It was warm, and shockingly soft. Yami tried to twist away, but Yugi brought his hands up to Yami's face, keeping him still. Yugi kissed Yami hard, surprised at how much he wanted to bed Yami. After a moment, Yami's arms grappled Yugi's waist, and he kissed back with a strange fervor that Yugi had not expected from the elder. It was all so much better than Yugi thought it would have been, and now he couldn't stop.

"Hey," Yugi managed, fingers sliding up to fist in the other's hair, "the bed...take me...!"

As soon as he breathed the words, he felt the last bit of resistance leave Yami with a languid shiver. With almost primal intensity, he half-lifted Yugi into his arms, and together they stumbled down the hall, still groping and kissing. Yugi didn't know which room they made it to, but when he was unceremoniously tossed down onto the bed, he realized that he didn't care. His shirt was already off, and Yami's pants were undone - all that mattered now was letting go. Letting things happen.

And that's exactly what Yugi did.


	6. Losing Someone Who Was Never Even Mine

Yugi didn't know which taste was worse in his mouth: the stale alcohol, or the bitterness of regret. It was a close call; both were exceptionally unpleasant, and both were something he'd never experienced in his life prior to now. With a groan, he forced himself into the land of consciousness, opening his sleep blocked eyes to find a sharp featured face in front of his own. And uncomfortably close. Yami breathed in a slow, steady pace, his cheek wrinkled against the pillow under his head. A hand was curled into a loose fist near his chin, settled between the two men. And the way his hand was curled... Oh. How quaint; It looked as if they had fallen asleep holding hands.

"I think I'm going to hurl." Yugi muttered, for a few different reasons, pulling off the gray sheet that covered his naked body. His accompanying eye roll made his gaze catch on the uncapped lotion lying on the bedside table. There went any slim hope he was holding that the previous night was, somehow, a dream. The lubricant was not the only evidence of their shared lust; Yugi could feel the dried crusty remnants on his abdomen.

"Why is your face the first thing I have to see?" He asked, flicking Yami in the ear. The other's face contorted, then he buried his face deep into the pillow, escaping back into his dreams. Yugi eased himself out of the bed, choosing to ignore the unfamiliar ache in his hips. He made his way, stealthily, out of the bedroom and down the hall. Once in the bathroom, he set the shower knob just a hair above scalding and started the water.

Yugi knew some people never remember their nights of intoxication, and he wished, more than anything, that it had been like that for him as well. But _no_. He remembered, in wild detail, what he did. Of course, at the time, it was as if someone else were controlling his body... No, not like that. More like, he knew what he was doing and saying, but at the same time, he was disconnected from it. No one forced his actions - he remembered Yami fighting against it, actually. Yugi knew his actions were his own. He had seriously wanted the freedom - the passion.

But now? Yugi stepped into the hot cascade of water, gritting his teeth. How could he be so idiotic? This wasn't just the folly of youth...it was downright _irresponsible._ He acted as if there were going to be no repercussions awaiting him once he sobered up... He risked his friendship for a single night.

But, boy - _what a night._ Yugi traced a bite mark on his shoulder with wet fingers. Yami had certainly been a capable lover. Yugi had never before felt such a rush of ecstasy like what he'd felt last night. Nothing but wave after wave of pleasure coursing through his entire body. Not even romance novels could have even touched upon what exactly had happened to him last night. Yami just...knew him too well. There was no other way to describe it besides that. Yami had known where to touch and what to say to make Yugi reduce himself to a wanting mess. Yugi supposed that's what happened when you had a long, trusting friendship, but this went...beyond that. Yami had even... Yugi shivered, remembering how Yami had even gotten him to beg. Toying fingers and a low, rough voice that just...

"What the hell are you doing?" Yugi asked himself, turning the knob so he was blasted with ice water. He scrubbed hard at his scalp, trying to stop his thoughts before he got too worked up. He felt like an idiot; how could he have been so oblivious? And how did he wind up thinking parading around naked with Yami would help in any way? Sure, he was drunk, but... Why his best friend?

Yugi wasn't gay. He'd never - _ever_ \- been attracted to another man before. It's always been women for him. Well, mostly Anzu - but still. He was a man; he watched porn with females in it. He liked soft thighs and large boobs. He loved long, silky hair and dark eyelashes. He wasn't into men in the slightest (not saying that Yami wasn't very good looking, because he was. Yugi was able to admit that.)

So why? Why on this great, wide world would he shack up with another _man?_ Was it because he was intoxicated? No, couldn't have been that. When Kit (if that was really the fucker's name) touched him - even before Yugi had been drugged - he had felt absolutely no desire to jump in bed with him. Didn't have the slightest interest in a sword fight - even while drunk. So it wasn't like Yugi wanted another man, it was just Yami.

Maybe that was why, though. _Because_ it was Yami. He was trustworthy, and Yugi knew him like the back of his own hand. Yugi felt safe - therefore, he had less reservations about sleeping with him. But that still didn't answer the question of why Yugi ended up... _enjoying_ it so much.

His head kept spinning around in answer-less circles, his emotions going from one end of the spectrum to the other. Oddly, this reminded him of when he first learned to dive: his toes gripped the pool edge as he fell forward, arching to slice through the water. And now he was diving once more, and it felt as if it were in slow motion. But this time, he was gasping for air, being strangled by the tremendous weight on his chest that was dragging him down into a deep abyss. The darkness moving up to welcome him.

The weight was his own guilt, and Yugi didn't think it was going to ease anytime soon.

With a sigh, Yugi shut off the shower. At least now he could wallow in his self pity with a clean body. He stepped onto the bathroom mat and toweled himself off, getting ready to face the day. Whatever it would bring.

* * *

"Are you fucking kidding me?" It wasn't a question as much of a statement as Yugi stood in front of the Kame Game shop, looking at the CLOSED sign resting in the window. Unless Yami and he had slept for an entire day, he was supposed to be here. _Inside_ the shop. _Working._ So...what was wrong with this picture? Sure, Yugi didn't feel very up to dealing with the general public, and he knew he was going to be questioned all day about his messy hair and red-rimmed eyes, but he wasn't going to blow off his obligations just because he felt sorry for himself or because his heart ached or because retail work could be exhausting.

Yugi pulled his cell phone out of his poket, pulling up his contacts, trying (and failing) to ignore how Anzu's name was the first one he saw on the list. He scrolled down, finding what he was looking for.

"Did I miss something?" He asked as soon as he heard the call connect.

"Well, hello to you, too." His grandfather answered, sounding miffed.

"I'm sorry; Good morning. Did I miss something?" Yugi repeated.

"Son, you're going to have to be more specific."

"I mean, I'm outside, staring at a dark, empty game shop?"

"The shop is closed today."

"Yeah, I figured that by the sign, funnily enough."

"Didn't Yami tell you?" Solomun asked, sounding confused. Yugi almost snorted from the irony. Oh, Yami had told him quite a few things last night...but none of them was about the shop or his grandfather.

"I guess not." Yugi replied instead.

"Well, I had tried to call you yesterday, but Yami answered your phone. I asked him to let you know the store would be closed today, since I have some errands and I'm meeting Arthur for dinner tonight. He was supposed to tell you not to come in."

"Well. Okay, then." Yugi turned around and sat on the ledge of the shop window. "But now what will I do for the remaining twelve hours of my day?"

"You could always call Anzu and hang out." Solomun said innocently. Yugi's heart lurched up into his esophagus, choking off his air.

"Um - yeah. I think I'm better off...not doing that." Yugi managed. There was a long pause.

"Yugi, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine."

"You can't lie to the man that raised you." Solomun was using his stern voice.

"Anzu and I...well, I'm not really talking to her right now."

"Oh, dear. Why?"

"It's just..." Yugi shook his head, already feeling his eyes prickle. "I don't want to talk about it."

"What about Yami, then? Talk to him if you don't want to talk to me."

"Grandpa, it's not like that; I love talking to you. But I'm not really... I mean, things are also weird with..." Yugi trailed off. How could he possibly explain the events of the past twelve hours to his grandfather?

"Anzu _and_ Yami? Goodness, Yugi. What happened?"

Yugi rolled his eyes upward, gripping the ledge under his hand.  
"I really don't want to talk about it. Okay?"

"...Okay." Solomun replied, very reluctantly.

"I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"I love you, Yugi."

"Yeah. I love you, too. Bye."

Yugi ended the call and stared at his screen until it went dark. He'd always gone to his grandfather for advice, but this just wasn't something he could discuss very well. Especially over the phone. He knew his grandfather's curiosity wouldn't sit quiet for long, though. Sooner or later, he'd have to talk. But how would he even explain it?

"Hey, Grandpa! Guess what? Anzu is dating Ryuji - remember him? The son of the guy who you humiliated? Yeah, you know the one. Anyway, he's dating Anzu, but I didn't know until last night. So I've been following her around like a little puppy, thinking that we'd be together eventually. Stupid, right? Then I decided getting drunk while heartbroken was a good idea - because feelings, man. Who wants those, am I right? Yeah, yeah - 'who am I and what did I do with your grandson?' Anyway, I got slipped a date-rape drug and almost got forced into a car - don't worry! Yami found me and helped. It's all a-okay. Well, regardless, one thing led to another and I ended up sleeping with Yami. And now I don't know how to face him - or Anzu for that matter. Could you tell me how to handle this situation?"

Yeah, that would've gone over _great_. Yugi could just imagine his grandfather's face - the disappointment dripping in his voice. Yugi examined the cut on his hand, running his fingers over the scab. He hoped it wouldn't scar...he didn't really need a visible reminder of what almost happened to him. looking up, Yugi watched the busy street in front of him, wishing there was a way to tear his heart out of his chest. Why is it that love was always the thing that smashed into you and left you raw? The deeper you love, the deeper it hurts. What was he going to do all day if he didn't have work to distract him from the bleeding inside himself?

As if in answer, his phone rang. He looked at the screen, reading the caller's name.

Oh, goody.


End file.
